# When 2 lanes merge, who has right of way?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-2-lanes-merge-who-has-right-of-way/65962>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-2-lanes-merge-who-has-right-of-way/65962 "2001-05-20T03:13:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-2-lanes-merge-who-has-right-of-way/65962/61 "2016-06-04T01:44:28Z")

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> [@Chessic\_Sense](#):
>
> Then that requires me to stay parallel to “my” spot, waiting for us to approach the merge point. The car ahead of me is gone, so there’s empty space there now. If I zipper, I can’t move up. If I move up, I’m “cutting.” The important point here is my lane is moving faster because it has less cars. There’s no way to fix that. Either I stall or I cheat. Which is it?

Seriously?  
“Cheat”, as you say.

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**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-2-lanes-merge-who-has-right-of-way/65962/62 "2016-06-04T01:53:53Z")

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> [@Voyager](#):
>
> But the zippering only happens at the merge point.

For it to work ideally (no one in either lane really brakes at all), you need to start lining up positions well before that.

> [@Voyager](#):
>
> Say you are on the right of the merge. If there is a steady stream of cars on the left, trying to force yourself in with the car in front of you is obnoxious. One car at a time makes life easier.

When people are doing it right, there is no “steady stream,” in the sense of a series of cars end-to-end in one lane. And certainly no “forcing.” Every vehicle, by the time it reaches the merge point, is lined up with an open space in the other line. And the two just shwoop together.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-2-lanes-merge-who-has-right-of-way/65962/63 "2016-06-04T06:54:05Z")

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> [@Peremensoe](#):
>
> For it to work ideally (no one in either lane really brakes at all), you need to start lining up positions well before that.
> 
> When people are doing it right, there is no “steady stream,” in the sense of a series of cars end-to-end in one lane. And certainly no “forcing.” Every vehicle, by the time it reaches the merge point, is lined up with an open space in the other line. And the two just shwoop together.

The zipper merge I’m usually involved in is on a busy street which goes from three lanes to two. There is no empty space usually, so each car slows just a bit to let the appropriate car from the merging lane in. When a car on the left leaves too much space at the merge point things get confused.  
You do kind of keep track of who will merge in before you (I like to be on the left here) but the situation at the merge point is what is important.

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